NEW DELHI: The Indian cricket board (BCCI) will be squeezing in a couple of bilateral T20I series in October to help the Indian team prepare for the T20 World Cup. TOI has learnt that the board is in talks with South Africa and New Zealand in this regard.
“South Africa and New Zealand are scheduled to come to India to play a couple of T20I series before the World Cup. The modalities are to be finalized. The board is aware that the team needs to be in touch with the format before the Cup starts,” a senior BCCI official said.
India and South Africa already have an agreement to play a series in India to compensate for the cancelled series in March last year. India don’t have any T20Is scheduled after the ongoing series against England.
They are slated to travel to England for the World Test Championship final and a five-Test series after the IPL. India come back from England in mid-September. There are doubts over the the Asia Cup too as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will host the remainder of the Pakistan Super League.
India will also host New Zealand for a Test series after the T20 World Cup. The Indian team will then travel to South Africa for a full tour in December-January